Uber is being sued in the United States by 550 women who claim to have been attacked by Uber drivers.
The complaint alleges Uber drivers “kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually abused, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, tormented, or otherwise attacked female passengers.”
On Wednesday, the case was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court.
“Sexual assault is a heinous crime, and we treat every single case seriously,” an Uber representative told the BBC.
“Nothing is more important than safety, which is why Uber has developed new safety measures, implemented survivor-centric policies, and been more forthcoming about serious occurrences. While we cannot comment on current lawsuits, we will continue to prioritize safety in our work,” They also noted.
The sexual assaults allegedly occurred in “several states,” according to the lawsuit filed by attorneys at the law firm, Slater Slater Schulman.
It further stated that at least 150 additional probable cases are “being researched.”
According to the lawsuit, Uber was aware that its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers as early as 2014. However, according to the complaint, the corporation prioritized “expansion over client protection.”
“Uber’s entire business strategy is premised on providing customers with a safe ride home,” Adam Slater, founding partner of Slater Slater Schulman, explained.
Uber released its second US Safety Report last month, revealing 998 sexual assault cases, including 141 rape reports, in 2020.
According to the data, the organization received 3,824 allegations of the five most severe categories of sexual assault between 2019 and 2020.
In the company’s first safety report, which covers occurrences from 2017 to 2018, there were 5,981 reports of sexual assault.
Uber’s most serious sexual assault categories range from “non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part” to “non-consensual sexual penetration,” or rape.
These allegations are extremely serious in nature. Five hundred fifty women have come forward, which is an astounding figure.
The case is even more harmful to Uber because it might be interpreted as further evidence of the company’s toxic culture.
An ex-Uber official came forward on Monday with various allegations of negligence.
Among the material he disclosed was that Uber had a ‘kill switch’ that could be activated if law enforcement arrived, preventing cops from obtaining information.
According to the whistleblower, Mark MacGann, the hacked records revealed a common theme: Uber prioritized growth above all else.
And this complaint alleges something similar: that Uber purposefully disguised the fact that its drivers had sexually assaulted women.
In other words, Uber was claiming that its rides were safe while, in reality, the corporation was aware of a problem.
According to the lawsuit, the firm also failed to do adequate background checks on its drivers.
Uber claims to have improved in recent years and laments its previous behavior.
However, with so much negative coverage, investors are concerned that passengers would begin to go elsewhere for their next trip.
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